My good friend, author and Baby Boomer Diva, Beverly Mahone, is hosting a Blogging TeleseminarThursday, January 24, 2008 8pm
This teleseminar is for you if:
You've been thinking about blogging but don't know where to begin.
You're not sure what to "blog" about.
You want to learn more about how to attract more readers.
You don't quite understand the "technical" aspects
You want to make money from blogging
These are just a few of the topics that will be covered with a panel of experts:
Heidi Caswell connectsimply.com/blog
Betty Lynch mycountrykitchen.wordpress.com
Karlyn karlyns.com
Kathie Thomas www.vadirectory.net/blog/
Signups are located at: http://www.talk2bev.com.
I'll be there. You should be too!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Time Management Tips
I've had a couple of emails and phone calls this week from friends who told me they are giving up their home business because they don't have time to do it. AAAGGGHHHH!!! That's the point! Getting financially free so you do have time for the important stuff! Sure you're going to work hard for the first couple of years. But after that, if you build your business correctly, you can take time whenever you want to.
Rather than quit, let's use some time-saving tips to help make the hours necessary to build your business.
1. If you haven't done it yet, set your goals. Be very clear about them. Write them down. Once you know what you really want to achieve (and why) it’s easier to make decisions about what needs to be done, and to plan accordingly.
2. Make your to-do list daily. List your top priorities and focus what time you do have on them. You'll be much more effective!
3. Schedule your day. Literally write an appointment in your work planner (you do have one of those, don’t you?) to set aside a realistic block of time for your priority actions.
4. Learn to say no to all of those friends and family members who think that you are free to do whatever they need just because you work from home. Don't let them distract you from your business.
5. Get organized. Create systems for filing, management of information and communication.
6. Learn to delegate. Surely your husband can learn to do laundry. Let the kids do the dishes. Can your neighbor take your kids to soccer practice along with hers?
7. Balance your life. All work and no play will burn you out faster than anything. When you are scheduling your day, schedule family time, spouse time, and a little "me" time.
8, When the day is over, let it be over. Finish what you are working on and "go home." Don't be thinking about that important client phone call when you should be focusing on your spouse. No paperwork at the dinner table or notes while watching TV with your family. Relax and you'll be less tense and more focused tomorrow
9. “Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein.”
Rather than quit, let's use some time-saving tips to help make the hours necessary to build your business.
1. If you haven't done it yet, set your goals. Be very clear about them. Write them down. Once you know what you really want to achieve (and why) it’s easier to make decisions about what needs to be done, and to plan accordingly.
2. Make your to-do list daily. List your top priorities and focus what time you do have on them. You'll be much more effective!
3. Schedule your day. Literally write an appointment in your work planner (you do have one of those, don’t you?) to set aside a realistic block of time for your priority actions.
4. Learn to say no to all of those friends and family members who think that you are free to do whatever they need just because you work from home. Don't let them distract you from your business.
5. Get organized. Create systems for filing, management of information and communication.
6. Learn to delegate. Surely your husband can learn to do laundry. Let the kids do the dishes. Can your neighbor take your kids to soccer practice along with hers?
7. Balance your life. All work and no play will burn you out faster than anything. When you are scheduling your day, schedule family time, spouse time, and a little "me" time.
8, When the day is over, let it be over. Finish what you are working on and "go home." Don't be thinking about that important client phone call when you should be focusing on your spouse. No paperwork at the dinner table or notes while watching TV with your family. Relax and you'll be less tense and more focused tomorrow
9. “Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein.”
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Treat Your Business Like a Business
So you have decided that this is the year to start your home based business. Great! Working from home is a great way to be in charge of your own life and make the kind of money you've always dreamed of. It's been life-changing for me. I work when I want to work and relax when I want to relax. Of course, that caused problems of its own when I first started working from home. When you start working from home, especially if you are working in network marketing or MLM, people will not consider it a real business. When I first started and was struggling to make a living, my own husband would ask me how much longer I was going to stay home and play instead of finding a "real" job. You have to remind everyone that you are serious about this. It IS a real business! And you have to be sure you treat it that way if you expect others to take you seriously. Don't think you can invest in a business, pay the startup fees or enrollments fees, and then just sit back and watch it grow. You have to work your business like you would a "traditional" business.
There are some ways to be sure you do this. First, make yourself a schedule each week. Having set hours for working your business will help ensure you actually work on your business. It doesn't have to be 9-5 Monday through Friday. I'm an early morning/late evening person so I do a lot of work between 5:00 - 8:00am and 9:oopm - midnight.
Second, let everyone know what you are doing. You have to promote your business. If you are uncomfortable telling your friends that you are doing network marketing or MLM, perhaps you need to take a second look at your choice of home businesses. If you believe in your business don't be ashamed of it.
Third, dress to go to work. Every morning before I go to my home office, I shower, dress, put on makeup, fix my hair - all just to walk down the hall from my bedroom to my computer. I feel much more professional when dressed for "work" and that attitude of professionalism comes across in my phone calls and other interactions. When you have a meeting with a potential client or dowline member, be sure to dress appropriately then also. Too many times I've gone with downline members to presentations and have been surprised at their appearance. They've invited all their friends to tell them about our wonderful opportunity and so they show up in jeans and a tee shirt or scuffed shoes and stained pants. How are you going to convince your friends that this is the opportunity they've been looking for if you still look like you always did? How will you convince a potential client to take a chance on you if you don't look clean and polished and put together? You don't have to wear designer suits or expensive jewelry. Just be neat, clean, professional, and confident.
Treat your home business like a business! Work hard, don't give up. If you do, you WILL find success! Remember, it's not going to happen overnight. But develop some business discipline now and work on your goals every day. Soon, you'll be working from your laptop on a beach while your unbelieving friends are still tied to their JOBS!
There are some ways to be sure you do this. First, make yourself a schedule each week. Having set hours for working your business will help ensure you actually work on your business. It doesn't have to be 9-5 Monday through Friday. I'm an early morning/late evening person so I do a lot of work between 5:00 - 8:00am and 9:oopm - midnight.
Second, let everyone know what you are doing. You have to promote your business. If you are uncomfortable telling your friends that you are doing network marketing or MLM, perhaps you need to take a second look at your choice of home businesses. If you believe in your business don't be ashamed of it.
Third, dress to go to work. Every morning before I go to my home office, I shower, dress, put on makeup, fix my hair - all just to walk down the hall from my bedroom to my computer. I feel much more professional when dressed for "work" and that attitude of professionalism comes across in my phone calls and other interactions. When you have a meeting with a potential client or dowline member, be sure to dress appropriately then also. Too many times I've gone with downline members to presentations and have been surprised at their appearance. They've invited all their friends to tell them about our wonderful opportunity and so they show up in jeans and a tee shirt or scuffed shoes and stained pants. How are you going to convince your friends that this is the opportunity they've been looking for if you still look like you always did? How will you convince a potential client to take a chance on you if you don't look clean and polished and put together? You don't have to wear designer suits or expensive jewelry. Just be neat, clean, professional, and confident.
Treat your home business like a business! Work hard, don't give up. If you do, you WILL find success! Remember, it's not going to happen overnight. But develop some business discipline now and work on your goals every day. Soon, you'll be working from your laptop on a beach while your unbelieving friends are still tied to their JOBS!
Monday, January 7, 2008
My Apologies to Google and a big Thank You to Free Press Release .com
It has been brought to my attention that the pornographic ads posted with the Baby Boomer Diva's press release were actually by ETOLOGY.COM and NOT Google. I apologize sincerely to Google for my earlier post.
Thank you Free Press Release.Com for taking action and removing the pornographic ads from our Baby Boomer Diva’s press release.
Thank you Beverly Mahone, founder of the Baby Boomer Web of Fame, for notifying us and taking action to save our reputable names. I’m honored to be a part of this group.
Thank you Free Press Release.Com for taking action and removing the pornographic ads from our Baby Boomer Diva’s press release.
Thank you Beverly Mahone, founder of the Baby Boomer Web of Fame, for notifying us and taking action to save our reputable names. I’m honored to be a part of this group.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Google Ads Treat Us With Disrepect!
You all know how thrilled and honored I was to be asked to be a member of the Baby Boomer Diva Web of Fame. I was so proud to be included with such a dynamic group of women - Virtual Assistants, Jewelry Designers, Published Authors, Radio and TV hosts, Actors and Singers and Ordained Ministers - well, I'm still trying to figure out why I was included!
These are wonderful women. They work hard at their chosen professions. They take care of their families. They are active in their communities and churches. They support each other - through good times and bad. They are my friends and colleagues.
Recently, Beverly Mahone, the founder and Chairperson of the Web of Fame issued a press release. She went through free-press-release.com. When the press release went "live" it was connected to some DISGUSTING ADS from Google.
I am appalled that such a thing has been allowed to happen. I was always told that Google carefully selected its ads based on keywords associated with the content of the article. So how was pure porn linked with such a highly respectable group of women? I have heard some disturbing things about Google lately but always considered it nonsense. Perhaps it is time to take a second look. Have they gotten so big that they feel they no longer need concern themselves with what is right?
Beverly has repeatedly written to Google, asking that the disgusting ads be removed. So far, her pleas have gone unheeded.
Google, wake up! Your users will not stand for this. Perhaps you should remember who helped make you the giant you are today.
These are wonderful women. They work hard at their chosen professions. They take care of their families. They are active in their communities and churches. They support each other - through good times and bad. They are my friends and colleagues.
Recently, Beverly Mahone, the founder and Chairperson of the Web of Fame issued a press release. She went through free-press-release.com. When the press release went "live" it was connected to some DISGUSTING ADS from Google.
I am appalled that such a thing has been allowed to happen. I was always told that Google carefully selected its ads based on keywords associated with the content of the article. So how was pure porn linked with such a highly respectable group of women? I have heard some disturbing things about Google lately but always considered it nonsense. Perhaps it is time to take a second look. Have they gotten so big that they feel they no longer need concern themselves with what is right?
Beverly has repeatedly written to Google, asking that the disgusting ads be removed. So far, her pleas have gone unheeded.
Google, wake up! Your users will not stand for this. Perhaps you should remember who helped make you the giant you are today.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Make Your Choice!
So here we are, sitting at our tables, looking at our list of New Year's resolutions. At the top of the list - build our business bigger. Or perhaps it's "start a home business." Or maybe "be more successful." We're staring at that statement wondering where to start. And we're looking at all the people we know or have read about and wondering what it is that makes them different from us. Do you really want to know? Good - because I'm going to tell you. They aren't sitting at the table wondering how to get started. They've already done it.
I've spent a lot of time studying successful people and I've found they all have a few things in common. They take action, they make decisions quickly, and they hang around with people like themselves. Successful people have been doing the same things for hundreds of years because it works! Someone - Theodore Roosevelt, I think - once said that the best thing you can do is make the right decision. The second best thing you can do is make the wrong decision. The worst thing you can do is make no decision at all. Think about it. If you decide on your first step to reach your goal and it's right - SUCCESS! If it's wrong, at least you may learn something from the mistake that will help you move forward. But if you never make a decision, you never get started - and you'll be sitting at your table again next year wondering how to change your life and what do all those successful people know that you don't.
Determine never to be idle. Do at least one thing every day to advance you toward your goal. It may be the wrong thing sometimes, but it's still better than doing nothing. Thomas Jefferson said, "It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing" Think how much you can accomplish towards your business and financial goals if you do one thing every day. Make a DECISION! Take ACTION! Take the action necessary to reach your goals.
Let's make this year your year to SHINE!
I've spent a lot of time studying successful people and I've found they all have a few things in common. They take action, they make decisions quickly, and they hang around with people like themselves. Successful people have been doing the same things for hundreds of years because it works! Someone - Theodore Roosevelt, I think - once said that the best thing you can do is make the right decision. The second best thing you can do is make the wrong decision. The worst thing you can do is make no decision at all. Think about it. If you decide on your first step to reach your goal and it's right - SUCCESS! If it's wrong, at least you may learn something from the mistake that will help you move forward. But if you never make a decision, you never get started - and you'll be sitting at your table again next year wondering how to change your life and what do all those successful people know that you don't.
Determine never to be idle. Do at least one thing every day to advance you toward your goal. It may be the wrong thing sometimes, but it's still better than doing nothing. Thomas Jefferson said, "It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing" Think how much you can accomplish towards your business and financial goals if you do one thing every day. Make a DECISION! Take ACTION! Take the action necessary to reach your goals.
Let's make this year your year to SHINE!
Friday, December 28, 2007
The Basics of Affiliate Marketing
I've been looking at affiliate programs again. I have been making money with most of the affiliate programs I belong to and decided I'd like to add a couple more this year. How to choose which ones though? I want to be sure I work with products that complement what I am already doing. If anyone is currently working with a program that has been successful, I'd love to hear about it.
What exactly is an "affiliate program"? Affiliate marketing is a web-based marketing practice in which a business rewards one or more affiliates (that's you) for each visitor or customer brought about by the affiliate's marketing efforts. The details of each affiliate program vary from program to program. Generally, you are provided a referral link to a website which you use to promote the affiliate progam. If you work hard and SMART, you can make a lot of money through affiliate programs.
As in any business there are good and bad affiliate programs. I have had much success with SBI! ( http://buildit.sitesell.com/wealthtogether.html). Not only do they have a terrific website for you to use, but they actually provide you with tools and training on how to make the most of their affiliate program. Another favorite is Iris Silks (http://www.irissilks.com//index.asp?REFCODE=SUPERCHA81640). I love silk lingerie - and the affiliate program is great too! But my favorite have got to be Affiliate Showcase (http://www.affiliateshowcase.com/?46035). Not only can you join just about every decent affiliate program through this site, you can also be an affiliate for Affiliate Showcase itself. My friend, Ken McArthur, who designed Affiliate Showcase, also provides lots of promotional tools, training, forums, and support. This is probably where I'll wind up looking for some additional affiliates for my own business.
Have a great New Year!
What exactly is an "affiliate program"? Affiliate marketing is a web-based marketing practice in which a business rewards one or more affiliates (that's you) for each visitor or customer brought about by the affiliate's marketing efforts. The details of each affiliate program vary from program to program. Generally, you are provided a referral link to a website which you use to promote the affiliate progam. If you work hard and SMART, you can make a lot of money through affiliate programs.
As in any business there are good and bad affiliate programs. I have had much success with SBI! ( http://buildit.sitesell.com/wealthtogether.html). Not only do they have a terrific website for you to use, but they actually provide you with tools and training on how to make the most of their affiliate program. Another favorite is Iris Silks (http://www.irissilks.com//index.asp?REFCODE=SUPERCHA81640). I love silk lingerie - and the affiliate program is great too! But my favorite have got to be Affiliate Showcase (http://www.affiliateshowcase.com/?46035). Not only can you join just about every decent affiliate program through this site, you can also be an affiliate for Affiliate Showcase itself. My friend, Ken McArthur, who designed Affiliate Showcase, also provides lots of promotional tools, training, forums, and support. This is probably where I'll wind up looking for some additional affiliates for my own business.
Have a great New Year!
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